Early impacts of the largest Amazonian hydropower project on fish communities

Keppeler, Friedrich W.; Andrade, Marcelo C.; Trindade, Paulo Arthur A.; Sousa, Leandro Melo de; Arantes, Caroline C.; Winemiller, Kirk O.; Jensen, Olaf P.; Giarrizzo, Tommaso

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155951

Cited by 29 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Future refinements in our approach may include temporal access to habitats and temporal range shifts including migration within freshwaters of certain fish species, as this can influence the accessibility and suitability of range area, respectively. Furthermore, species may be threatened by additional and indirect impacts caused by dams, such as the alteration of flow and thermal regimes, and sediment and nutrient supply, which may all put additional pressure on freshwater species (Agostinho et al., 2008; Jellyman & Harding, 2012; Keppeler et al., 2022; Poff et al., 1997; Poff & Schmidt, 2016). These additional impact pathways may explain why 201 species without PLR in our study are indicated as threatened by large dams or dams of unknown size by the IUCN (Figure S14).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threats of dams to the persistence of the world's freshwater fishes

Keijzer,

Barbarossa,

Marques

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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Habitat fragmentation due to dams is a well‐known threat to freshwater fish. Yet, the global consequences of fragmentation for the viability of freshwater fish populations are unknown. Here, we provide the first global assessment of the threats of dams to the persistence of freshwater fish species. We developed a global macroecological relationship between freshwater fish range size and body size and used this relationship to assess whether isolated range fragments are too small to support a species. Our assessment includes 7369 freshwater fish species and considers the effects of 31,780 dams globally. Furthermore, we performed a more detailed analysis of the threats of dams in Brazil, the greater Mekong region and the United States, using complementary national and regional data sets. Globally, more than half of the species analysed face extirpation in a part of their geographic range, with an average potential range loss of 3.3% (95%‐range: 0%–31.8%) across all species analysed. For 74 fish species, occurring in Brazil, China, India, the Mekong basin, the United States, South‐Africa and the East Adriatic Coast, more than 50% of their range is potentially lost. This includes 18 species threatened with extinction across their whole range. Our complementary regional analysis revealed that the potentially lost range increases by a factor of 2–4 when considering both large and small dams compared with considering only large dams (≥15 m), highlighting the need to establish more comprehensive global dam inventories. Our novel approach and global analysis identifies species at risk of extirpation as well as geographic hotspots of extirpation threat by dams, which can aid in establishing more effective strategies for global hydropower development and barrier removal efforts to optimise the trade‐offs between biodiversity conservation and the socio‐economic benefits of dams.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threats of dams to the persistence of the world's freshwater fishes

Keijzer,

Barbarossa,

Marques

et al. 2024

Global Change Biology

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“…Our study site is situated within the area of indirect influence of the Belo Monte hydropower plant, whose environmental mitigation programs include the indigenous lands of the region since 2012 but not the reserves, with no reasonable explanation. Many changes in fisheries along Xingu and its major tributaries were detected during the construction and operation of Belo Monte, both by the official fisheries monitoring program (Keppeler et al, 2022;Montag et al, 2023; Programa de Incentivo a Pesca Sustentável [PIPS], 2022). The negative impacts of damming rivers on aquatic environments, biodiversity in general, ichthyofauna, ecological productivity, fisheries, food security, and local and regional livelihoods are known worldwide (Chaudhari et al, 2021;World Commission on Dams [WCD], 2000), and the decommissioning of dams is growing after growing understanding that net losses overcome economic benefits (Moran, Lopez, Moore, Müller, & Hyndman, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of geographic isolation and temporal patterns on use of wildmeat and fishery resources in Eastern Amazonia, Brazil

Goncalves,

Pezzuti

2023

Acta Sci. Human Soc. Sci.

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The advance of urbanization, the construction of large-scale projects, and the intensification of the extraction of natural resources are modifying the food consumption patterns of human populations in the Amazon. The influences of the population's economic integration and proximity to the market are crucial factors that shape various aspects of their livelihoods. We evaluated the influence of distance to the commercial center, temporal variation, and river flow on the diversity and composition of wild meat and fishes consumed in two RESEXs in Eastern Amazonia. The data came from the National Biodiversity Monitoring Program, coordinated by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, which has been in progress since 2014. We found a significant presence of industrialized food in the diet of populations close to the urban center and a presence of fish and wild meat in the meals from populations that live farther away. The consumption of fish and hunting animals is decreasing over the years without an increase in the consumption of industrialized food, which may represent a case of food insecurity for these populations. The consumption of fishes presented seasonal variations, guided by the river flow. Fishing and hunting play a significant role in the sustenance of these populations, but their decline over time may exhibit a worrisome pattern.

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“…The migration route and access to a substantial portion of the spawning grounds of the Amazonian catfish in the Madeira River are blocked by two dams built a decade ago, which profoundly affects the populations and fisheries of the Amazonian catfish and further alters the food web of the river ecosystem controlled by this apex predator (Duponchelle et al, 2016;Fearnside, 2013;Fraser, 2018). It has also been reported that the body size and trophic level of Amazonian catfish have declined in the reservoir and downstream reach of the Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River after large hydropower development (Keppeler et al, 2022). Dams intercept sediment and nutrients that nourish the Amazon River and its floodplain, and damage fish physical habitats with a cascade of ecological effects (Fraser, 2018).…”

Section: Impact On Other Fish Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

River Damming Impacts on Fish Habitat and Associated Conservation Measures

Chen,

Li,

Lin

et al. 2023

Reviews of Geophysics

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River damming has brought great benefits to flood mitigation, energy and food production, and will continue to play a significant role in global energy supply, particularly in Asia, Africa, and South America. However, dams have extensively altered global river dynamics, including riverine connectivity, hydrological, thermal, sediment and solute regimes, and the channel morphology. These alterations have detrimental effects on the quality and quantity of fish habitat and associated impacts on aquatic life. Indeed, dams have been implicated in the decline of numerous fishes, emphasizing the need for effective conservation measures. Here, we present a global synthesis of critical issues concerning the impacts of river damming on physical fish habitats, with a particular focus on key fish species across continents. We also consider current fish conservation measures and their applicability in different contexts. Finally, we identify future research needs. The information presented herein will help support sustainable dam operation under the constraints of future climate change and human needs.

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Early impacts of the largest Amazonian hydropower project on fish communities

Cited by 29 publications

References 85 publications

Threats of dams to the persistence of the world's freshwater fishes

Threats of dams to the persistence of the world's freshwater fishes

Effect of geographic isolation and temporal patterns on use of wildmeat and fishery resources in Eastern Amazonia, Brazil

River Damming Impacts on Fish Habitat and Associated Conservation Measures

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